Doncaster RLFC - 2007

2007

The 2007 season kicked off early for the Lakers, when they played host to a pre-season warm up against Sheffield Eagles on 27 December 2006. This was no ordinary game, as it marked the opening of The Keepmoat Stadium. The stadium previously known as The Lakeside Community Stadium which houses Doncaster Lakers RLFC, Doncaster Rovers FC and Doncaster Belles (Women's) FC, boasts seats for 16,000 supporters with room for expansion in the future and contains brand new training facilities. Lakers, back in blue and gold, lost 16–10 in front of 5,400 spectators, the club's biggest crowd in a decade. Lakers travelled to the Jungle in their next match, to face Castleford, in a pre-season testimonial for St. John Ellis. 3,000 supporters turned out to pay their respects to Ellis, who had both played for Castleford and coached Doncaster. All proceeds from the game went to the St John Ellis Memorial Fund, to help support his family. The Lakers came bottom of their Northern Rail Cup group containing Castleford, Sheffield Eagles and Featherstone Rovers, with 7 points. Only gaining one win over Sheffield away (18–20), a draw against Featherstone at home (18–18), and bonus points in their losses against Featherstone away (24–22) and Sheffield at home (12–20). On 1 April 2007, Head Coach Keiran Dempsey and Assistant Coach Phil Windley were suspended pending an internal investigation and Gary Wilkinson was temporary placed in charge of the team. The following Friday (6 April 2007) saw the Lakers kick start the 2007 league campaign beating Sheffield Eagles 24–20 away from home.

Six and a half thousand people attended the club's first game on live TV for over 10 years, on Thursday 12 April at the Keepmoat Stadium. The game shown live on Sky Sports saw Doncaster pummelled 66–4 against promotion favourites Castleford. Three days later the Lakers suffered another defeat at home against Leigh (52–18). During the two weeks Lakers had to prepare for their next league game away at newly promoted Dewsbury. It was announced by chairman John Wright that the club was having financial difficulties and would have to apply to go into a CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement). The players rallied around and beat Dewsbury 26–33 with an inspirational second half display, which saw Graham Holroyd (returning from injury) lead his team back from trailing 26–10 at half-time.

The Lakers then went on to defeat joint top of the table Whitehaven 26–16. The match, which was promoted as possibly the last ever game of professional rugby league in Doncaster, attracted only 831 supporters, despite pleas from John Wright for the people of Doncaster to help save the club. On Saturday 12 May Chairman John Wright announced he was to resign from the club. Lakers only just managed to put together a team against Rochdale Hornets away at Spotland on 20 May, after several players including Graham Holroyd and Danny Mills left the club. The team went on to lose 58–12 to the sound of the chant, 'We're proud of you' from the travelling fans. A few hours after the match, Coach Gary Wilkinson resigned. The following Tuesday (22 May), local lad and crowd favourite Peter Green was announced as Caretaker Coach. On Sunday 3 June, Lakers lost at home to Batley 48–14 and on the following Sunday 10 June at home, they suffered a massive 90–4 defeat at the hands of Widnes.

This match appeared to be the last ever match Doncaster Lakers would play, when Chairman John Wright decided he would put the club in liquidation come Wednesday 13 June if no buyers came forward. The crowd of over 1,200 including a great Widnes following and the Doncaster diehards applauded the loyal Doncaster players upon the final whistle in what was a spectacular rugby league moment. When Wednesday 13th finally came, it was announced that Doncaster-born businessmen Shane Miller and Craig Harrison had struck a deal with the RFL to set up a new club which would take over from the old one within National League 1. It was thought the club John Wright still had control over would fold. . On Tuesday 19 June, Doncaster announced former St. Helens and Widnes forward John Stankevitch as new Head Coach, taking over from Caretaker Coach Peter Green. Stankevitch had left his post as the Chemics' Senior Academy Coach to take the position. On 28 June it was announced that the new owners had decided to ditch the Lakers moniker and revert back to Doncaster RLFC nicknamed, ‘The Dons'. Subsequently a new logo designed by a local student was revealed. This logo featured two lions from the Doncaster town crest holding a rugby ball which had mortarboard on top of it to symbolise ‘The Dons’. . The Dons lost 20–32 against Sheffield Eagles on 1 July, in front of a crowd of 1,030. At The Jungle on 8 July, Doncaster lost 66–4 against Castleford. On 22 July at the Keepmoat Stadium 'The Dons' lost 30–44 at the hands of Halifax. Former player Graham Holroyd denied Doncaster a bonus point by converting a Halifax try on the final hooter. The following Sunday, 29 July, the travelling Dons put up a gutsy performance, losing 40–18 against league leaders Widnes at the Halton Stadium. The Dons got their first win under the new regime and kept hopes of staying in National League One alive on 5 August beating Rochdale Hornets 34–30 at home.

These hopes were later shattered though the following Sunday, 12 August when they lost 26–12 against Batley at Mount Pleasant, after leading 12–6 at half time. This meant that the only likely outcome would be the Dons playing National League 2 rugby next season. The Dons lost 34–14 against Leigh at Hilton Park on 19 August. In the last home game of the 2007 season, 'The Dons' put on a brilliant performance to beat Dewsbury 51–18. For the final game of the season 'the Dons' travelled to The Shay to face Halifax. Former 'Don' Graham Holroyd ran the game for Halifax, leading them to a 52–24 victory, this result meant that Doncaster had finished bottom of the 2007 League table. As the fans clapped the 'Dons' off for the final time this season, they put this terrible campaign behind them, simply happy they would have a team to support the following year.